Tony's Choice
by KattyBorz
Summary: He looked around the room and landed on the clock. Peter would be home from school soon and he didn't want him to see Tony like this. He didn't want Peter to know that he was still hung up over his dad. So, with one agonizing deep breath he turned to Steve, hoping he looked more stable and confident than he actually felt. SUPERFAMILY/SUPERHUSBANDS Not a happy story guys.


**So this is the third part of Steve's Return and Peter's Decision. I know I said I wasn't gonna do another part, well I found some time at my job to write this guy up. It's not 100% but it's pretty dang close!**

 **Disclaimer: Nothing, I own.**

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 **Chapter Three: Tony's Choice**

The day started like any other. After waking up abruptly at three in the morning, Tony went straight down to his workshop and tinkered with his new developments for the remaining Avengers and his company to help keep his mind busy and definitely not thinking about the events that occurred a year ago in Siberia, New York or Sokovia. He had bid Peter a good morning as he left for school three and a half hours later before returning to his work. FIRDAY had reminded him that his body has needs and that the last time he ate was well over twelve hours previous. So now, Tony was sipping another cup of coffee after he finished his sandwich, while scrolling through schematics and plans for new designs for Stark Industries when he was interrupted. He glanced up at the time and noted that Peter wouldn't be leaving school for another couple of hours and he wasn't expecting anyone this week. The elevator opened and revealed a sight Tony never thought he'd see again.

Steve.

Tony froze, his fingers hovering over his pad and his coffee halfway to his lips for another sip. His eyes raked over his former lover's form, taking in the muscle and the lack of tidiness on the usually clean super soldier. There was no other way to describe it, Tony was drinking in the sight of Steve. He wasn't sure if it equated to a thirsty man in a desert finding water or an alcoholic nursing the bottle again, but he wasn't too determined to find out. The only thing that he knew for sure was that Steve was _here._

He was standing in the living room, looking unsure and hesitant even though he lived in the penthouse for the better part of six years and in the tower for ten. He wore a zipped hoodie and loose jeans, his hands shoved deep into his pockets as his eyes landed on anything and everything except for Tony. What do you say? Tony wondered as he turned to face Steve completely. What do you say to someone you trusted wholly and completely? What is there to be said after that someone left you broken and betrayed and in pain? He didn't know. For a genius that says the wrong thing at the wrong time, he couldn't even come up with any witty quips. No snapping. No screaming. No yelling. No crying. He was just…blank.

Steve shuffled his feet nervously before he looked straight at Tony. He didn't look as lost as Tony clearly felt and he couldn't help but feel more alienated. Was he the only one having problems dealing with this?

"Hey, Tony." Steve finally said. "Could we… I mean, if you want…" Steve sighed and tried again. "Can we talk?"

Tony stood and walked toward the man he still undoubtedly loved. "That depends, _Steven._ What did you want to talk about?" Tony's voice was sharp and angry. After all this time, after everything that has happened, the guy chose _now_ to show up and talk? He suddenly decided that _now_ was the perfect time to have a discussion? "Could it possibly be about last year? Could it be about how you left your family behind? How you left your friends, everyone behind without so much as a heads up?"

"Tony, I don't expect you to understand…"

"I did understand, Rogers!" Tony shouted, drowning out whatever Steve was going to say. "I followed you and _him_ to that damn bunker! As a friend, as support, to help you. And it turns out that you had already lied to me. Again." Tony took a deep breath and crossed his arms over his chest. "You lectured me and belittled me for Ultron. You told me that if anything were to come our way we would handle it together. Win or lose." Tony looked out the bay window overlooking New York. "And then _he_ showed up out of the blue and you took off without explanation. You didn't tell us anything. I was worried. I thought maybe this could be the end, the Accords was going to get between us because we couldn't agree. And at first… that was okay. I had been preparing for something to happen… something to make you see that I wasn't worth it… in the end. That my problems, my hang ups, my issues. Everything." He paused and finally looked at Steve. The soldier was looking down at the floor, resigned to the words Tony was throwing at him. He sighed and dropped his arms to his sides. "I don't know why you are here or what you hope to find, but I don't think I can help you."

Steve's head shot up and looked at him with desperation. "Tony, it was never my intention to hurt you. I knew I should've explained more... or something. I just… I couldn't let him suffer like that. He's my best friend, the one thing I have left from my own time."

"Speaking of which, why didn't you tell me about her? About her funeral?" Tony asked, his head tilted to one side. "I would've went with you."

"I know, Tony." Steve moved to the couch and sat down. "I just wanted to do it on my own, prove to myself that I'm more than just a dancing monkey in a parade."

Tony sat down on the far end of the couch away from Steve. Just because there wasn't any yelling or screaming didn't mean that Tony was ready to be close to him again, not yet.

They sat there, silently, for what felt like days. Steve had come here to apologize and to extend an olive branch in hopes of forgiveness but Tony wanted answers that he didn't have. He wanted to know the motivation behind it all and Steve couldn't tell him. Wouldn't tell him. It would only make their strained relationship even more broken, and Steve didn't want that. But he knew that if he waited any longer that Tony would hurt even more. He took a deep breath and hoped he was doing the right thing.

"We found a place over in Brooklyn." Steve said. "It's nothing compared to living here, but it's home."

Tony's heart wrenched at the statement. His eyes moistened and he looked away. He had already moved on. He was already living his life with someone else and Tony was still clinging to the idea of him and Steve staying together. Tony should've known it was stupid to hang onto an idea like that, especially after everything. But there was a small sliver of him that had pleaded with every fiber of it's being that Steve had come back to work on them again. Now that part of him died out and he felt nothing but emptiness.

"We?" He asked quietly, not sure if he wanted the answer but knew that it would drive him insane otherwise. "Whose we?"

Steve didn't answer for a couple of minutes and Tony knew he wasn't going to like the answer one bit.

"Bucky and I." Tony's heart shattered. The man of his dreams, the love of his life, left him not only for his old friend but his now boyfriend. The betrayal reared its head again and Tony could feel himself shaking and he had difficulty focusing on one thing. His eyes darted around the room in hopes of keeping the tears at bay.

"When?" He asked brokenly. He _had_ to know. He didn't want or need to know, but he had to be sure for his own sake.

"A month."

 _A month?! The guy waited a whole month before moving on?!_ If Tony though he felt upset before, it was nothing compared to the rage building inside of him now. How could he? How dare he?

Silence fell over them once more as Tony stewed. He looked around the room and landed on the clock. Peter would be home from school soon and he didn't want him to see Tony like this. He didn't want Peter to know that he was still hung up over his dad. So, with one agonizing deep breath he turned to Steve, hoping he looked more stable and confident than he actually felt.

"You need to leave." Tony said, his voice never wavered and Tony was thankful. "Peter will be home soon and he doesn't need to see you here."

Tony stood and moved over to the bar and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a tumbler. He poured a couple fingers.

"When did you start drinking again?" Steve's voice drifted from behind him. Tony just swirled the whiskey around before answering.

"When did you care?"

"I've always cared, Tony." Steve answered in that tone of voice he uses when he discovered that one of his teammates had let him down or disappointed him.

"You really need to leave." Tony repeated as he sat down on the couch staring at the glass.

Steve sighed before he left Tony to his musings. On the ride down to the lobby, Steve thought about how to make things better. He loved his family, even if he knows that he and Tony won't ever be together again. He still loved the man. He still wanted what was best for him. And he most definitely loved his son, without question. He knew that time to adjust and accept and digest the last year would do the three of them some good. As he stepped into the lobby, he felt lighter and surer of his decision to return. He wouldn't leave them to fend for themselves or make them think he didn't care.

Just as he made his way to the door, he caught sight of Peter walking through after smiling at the doorman. The smile dropped and a frown marred his son's face. Steve sent him a smile and a short nod before disappearing in the street bustle of the afternoon.

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 **THANK YOU! Seriously this time, I won't be adding onto this. I think it's pretty complete as it is.**

 **Reviews are welcomed but not forced.**


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